An advanced roof system combines rugged plants with solar photovoltaic panels, producing power while it detains stormwater.
Stainless steel leak detection mesh lays on the roof ready to be spread out.
A technician uses an electrified sensor to scan the buried leak detection mesh for signs of wetness under the skin.
The plastic bases for the PV arrays lie on the roof ready to receive racking elements.
Solar racks have been placed in the plastic bases and tied together into four arrays (one for each townhome in the project).
With geotextile mesh spread over the solar panel rack bases, a crew starts to place growing media onto the roof using a blower truck.
The crew continues to blow growing media onto the roof.
The blower truck allows media to be spread across the roof without creating any point loads.
Installers place drought-tolerant sedum plants into the growing medium, prior to installing PV panels.
An installer waters in the small plants.
Newly planted cuttings sit under the solar racks prior to the installation of the PV panels.
A year after the solar panels were installed, the plants have spread and taken a strong foothold.
Well-established plants sit next to solar panels on a sunny day.
A view of the vegetated solar roof shows the four individual arrays, one for each townhome in the building.